Taj Mahal

I think I lost 5 years of my life driving out to Agra. The pollution was unbelievable. It stung my nose and my lungs alike and I tried breathing through my shirt but that really didn’t do too much. I couldn’t believe how bad it was! Above all, I had no idea how we were driving hours through the countryside (and small villages) with pollution that was worse than that of Delhi. To make it even better, Agra (where the Taj is located) is production-free so that the beautiful whiteness of the Taj is not ruined. Tourism might be about the only industry here in Agra. I thought the story about the Taj was lovely. The sultan or whatever his title was had a third wife and she told him on her death bed (due to complications giving birth to their last child) that she had three wishes. One was for him to never remarry. Two was to take good care of their children and be a good ruler. Three was to build a memorial for her to remember her. He wanted to build something as beautiful as he believed her to be, so, therefore started the building of the Taj Mahal. It took 22 years and the labor of 22,000 workers. Unbelievable. And ungodly beautiful, I wish I had been able to see it at daybreak and sunset. Agra was an annoying town of annoying people. Give me money, buy pictures, give me money. I spent a ridiculous amount on two rings that I bought which would have probably been worth much less in the US. I won’t even disclose the amount of money I spent. I wish I could take them back. I hate when you hire a stupid guide and they take you to all their stupid friends’ stupidly expensive shops and pressure you into buying things. I learned my lesson, and at least I know how to deal with the rest of the problem in the rest of India.